


Easy

by paradisedise



Category: NCT (Band), SM Rookies
Genre: Drama, M/M, Organized Crime, Prohibition, Prostitution, Romance, mafia!au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-17
Updated: 2017-01-12
Packaged: 2018-09-09 04:20:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8875705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paradisedise/pseuds/paradisedise
Summary: Jung Jaehyun wasn't someone that was easily shaken because in this city, he was the one who shook everyone else.





	1. 01

There was smoke filling his lungs every time Jaehyun took a breath, but the coughing was worth it for a sip of scotch when he so desperately needed it. Jaehyun’s profession was lucrative, albeit stressful. He had several subordinates whom he gave direction to but no one to confide in himself. It didn’t help that he was in a business that was not necessarily safe and while he had protection, he had made some choices in his past that left him with some violent enemies. No, being a mob boss was not what most people imagined Jaehyun would be when they saw him. He had thick black hair and a handsome face, hard but soft in the right places. His cheeks dipped into deep dimples whenever he had the luxury to smile, as rare as that was. He could have anyone he wanted, but the women in the short, beaded dresses with seductive words spilling from their lips didn’t interest him even when they threw themselves at them. The only thing that comforted Jaehyun during late nights was the prospect of a cold drink.

The bar he sat at was his. It was in the basement of a large hotel, a place that you could only enter if you knew about it. Most of his time was spent several floors up in his penthouse or through a set of doors closed to the bar’s patrons, leading to his office. He owned the establishment and all of its employees, both the servers and the young people who offered a night of services for a fee. A glass clinked onto the counter in front of him and Jaehyun looked up.

“Thanks, Taeil,” Jaehyun muttered, sliding the drink closer to him. Taeil was just bartender, working for a cheap hourly wage just so he could afford a place to live in the city. Jaehyun made an effort to learn his underlings’ names, considering they were putting their lives on the line everyday to serve him, to earn him money. In return they received some degree of protection, but nobody was forcing them to work for a group of organized criminals who were smuggling very expensive liquor to capitalize off of prohibition.

“Long day?” Taeil questioned, glancing up from the glass he was wiping clean. Despite his seemingly low rank in the organization, Taeil was a long time friend of Jaehyun and trustworthy. He had grown up alongside Jaehyun on the city streets and was also familiar with other individuals in the group.

“You could say that,” said Jaehyun as he rattled the ice cubes in his new glass with the stirrer that accompanied the drink. “I got word today from Sicheng that Byun is gaining traction. Soon we might not be top dog in this city anymore and something needs to be done.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. Johnny says that taking out Byun is the only way to ensure that he doesn’t take our business. Right now we have a stronghold on the alcohol sales in this city but Byun is starting to pressure some of the speakeasy owners into switching over to his side. As of right now, the one were sitting in is the only one truly allegiant to us, although we supply for almost all of them” Jaehyun took a sip of his drink.

“Hm. Right now we’re still in charge of smuggling most of the booze, right? Byun is just a rookie in this business and doesn’t know his way around. I think you’re fine for the time being,” Taeil replied.

“Maybe you’re right. I just don’t want to suddenly have the rug yanked out from under me and killed, or something”

“You know you’re more capable than that, Jae,” Taeil sighed. For someone with so much power, Jaehyun wasn’t the most confident.

“I suppose,” Jaehyun took another sip from his drink.

Jaehyun’s attention was caught when another man pulled up a stool a few down from his. The man was slim in an oxford shirt too large for him, his pants hanging off of his hips equally as easily. His black hair was disheveled and parted on the side and his cheeks were flushed. He lit a cigarette that he pulled out of his shirt pocket. The man looked about as put together as Jaehyun felt. Jaehyun didn’t mean to stare but the man’s face was entrancing. He had large eyes and jawline that could cut.

Jaehyun’s preferences weren’t known to his fellow mob members. He was secure in himself but he had to sneak around. Men who slept with other men did not appear to be common in Jaehyun’s line of work, or in general. He had been with men before, but arranging that kind of relationship was a lot of trouble. He was trying not to stare at the man next to him, but he felt like he couldn’t help it. The man glanced at Jaehyun from the corner of his eye and Jaehyun quickly averted his gaze.

“Thanks for the drink, Taeil. Take it easy,” Jaehyun got up from his stool and Taeil gave him a nod as he walked away. Jaehyun took one quick glance back at the man at the bar and felt warm as he watched him tilt his head back and take a sip of his drink.

~~~~~~

The next day a ringing phone snapped Jaehyun out of deep thought.

“Hello?” Jaehyun answered. Only his most trusted subordinates had his personal phone number, so he knew it was going to be someone he knew.

“Jae, it's Yuta. I have a question for you. Do you mind if I come to your office a little later?”

“That’s fine. I’ll see you around five,” Jaehyun agreed. Yuta was a clever man who was in charge of the prostitution ring that Jaehyun was responsible for. For Jaehyun, prostitution was extremely profitable. Jaehyun was a little disgusted by some of the clients, married businessmen who felt the need to bury themselves in some poor girl while their wives pulled casseroles out of the oven and poured wine for their husbands when they returned from work. Jaehyun wasn’t proud of the some of the businesses he ran, but money was money. More than that, he was born into this world. He was conditioned from birth by his father to be the next boss and when his dad finally croaked, he had thickened his skin enough to not be bothered by the incriminating activities that had funded his whole upbringing.

“What do you know about men who, uh, prefer the company of other men?” Yuta asked Jaehyun later in his office. The bar down the hall was starting to get busier and Jaehyun could hear the din coming from behind his closed doors.

“That’s becoming more and more common lately, isn’t it? Why do you ask?” Jaehyun replied, his interested piqued.

“Well, I recently met someone I want you to meet. He could possibly help advance our business” Yuta replied. “You see, one of the girls introduced me to a man that I think you would be interested in taking under your umbrella of influence.” Yuta was a handsome man, Jaehyun thought. He was also almost too smart for his own good.

“I’m interested. When could we meet?” Jaehyun asked.

“Actually, I can go get him right now from the bar. Give me a second,” Jaehyun watched Yuta turn on his heel and walk out of the door. A moment passed and the door creaked open again. Yuta came inside, someone else following close behind him.

Jaehyun felt his face heat up just the slightest. It was the man at the bar from last night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! this is my first major attempt at writing something and i have no idea where this is actually going to be gentle with me. thanks for reading!!!


	2. 02

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mentions of violence and blood in this chapter

“Jae, I want you to meet Taeyong.” Yuta nudged the man forward. He looked just as good as Jaehyun had remembered from the night before. Even better, actually, now that he had an actual look at his face without the haze of cigarettes distorting his features. Taeyong had strong eyebrows and a piercing gaze that made Jaehyun feel the slightest bit unsettled. Taeyong wasn’t as tall as Jaehyun but his shoulders were broad. His collarbone peeked out of the shirt he was wearing. Jaehyun thought it could have been the same shirt he was wearing the night before. 

“Nice to meet you,” Taeyong muttered, not seeming thrilled about being in Jaehyun’s presence. Despite his lack of enthusiasm, Taeyong didn’t seem afraid of Jaehyun. Most of the few and far between people who were introduced to Jaehyun were terrified, probably having imagined that Jaehyun would pull a gun on them at the slightest slip of the tongue. Jaehyun was intrigued by Taeyong’s apparent apathy. 

Yuta, sensing the tension, started up again. “Taeyong here offers the same services as the other people you and I supervise. He already has a large clientele and is able to charge more than the average prostitute due to his, well, uniqueness.” Yuta was looking at Jaehyun but Jaehyun was only looking at Taeyong. Yuta’s eyes flicked between them and he continued. “I wanted to clear it with you first but I think he would be valuable to have under our influence. He could bring in some extra cash and in return we could make sure you stay safe,” his gaze shifting to Taeyong, trying to sell him on the idea. 

“Yes, I would make sure that you would be safe in this business. I know it's probably not very easy,” Jaehyun assured Taeyong. Taeyong was pulling a cigarette out of his shirt pocket again, not seeming visibly interested. 

“So it seems. Got a light?” Taeyong asked and Jaehyun pulled a matchbook out of his desk. He eyed him suspiciously, trying to gauge why Taeyong was acting the way he was. 

“Are you interested?” Jaehyun kept his gaze on Taeyong, trying to intimidate him. While Jaehyun wasn’t your average mob boss, he knew how to appear intimidating when needed. Taeyong was a commodity that he was interested in. Jaehyun needed as much power as possible if he was going to keep ahead of Byun and his cronies. If Taeyong was under his wing then he could bring in others like him and have a hold on a whole other business that Byun had no power in. 

“I could try it out. Although I know that in the mob world I’m either in or I’m out.” Taeyong closed his eyes and took a long drag from his cigarette. He took the light from his mouth and opened his eyes, biting down ever so slightly on his bottom lip. 

“You could say that. I’ll be honest with you and tell you that right now you don’t have much of a choice. You’ve already met me, and I’m the most powerful man in this city. You’d be foolish not to work with me at this point,” Jaehyun had gotten up from his desk now, leaning over it with his hands gripping the front edge. “So, I’ll ask again. Are you interested?” 

“I suppose I am, Mr. Jung. Maybe I’ll see you around.” Taeyong leaned forward, close to Jaehyun’s face. He smashed his cigarette into an ashtray on Jaehyun’s desk and left the room. 

“He’s quite the character,” Jaehyun said, raising an eyebrow at Yuta. 

“I know. But trust me. I know how much he’s making and its close to five times as much as the others. You wouldn’t believe how desperate some people are to have their fantasies fulfilled, especially when they’re stuck at home with a women who they really don’t want to be with.” Yuta confessed. “He’s a little headstrong. But he’s valuable.”

“Very well. Good work finding him, I know I can count on you, Yuta.” Jaehyun gave a rare smile, dimples appearing slightly in the flesh of his cheeks. “Have you seen Johnny lately?”

“No, why? Are you worried about Byun?” Yuta knew Johnny was Jaehyun’s number two. Johnny was the person who Jaehyun went to for advice as well as the one who did all of Jaehyun’s dirty work. 

“I just want to know if he has anything new to update me on. I guess I’ll give him a call.” 

~~~~~~~~

Jaehyun was at his usual spot at the bar again that night. Normally he would be afraid of people seeing him and recognizing him, but in reality very few people actually knew who he was and who he looked like. Jung Jaehyun remained mostly anonymous, only his name left the lips of insignificant people who were afraid of his power. 

“Hey, Taeil,” Jaehyun tried to catch the bartender’s attention. By this time at night, most of the patrons were people who did work for Jaehyun here and there although they did not know that the fabled Mr. Jung was sitting just a few feet away from them. Jaehyun appreciated his relative anonymity as it allowed him some moments to breathe that weren't cooped up in his penthouse. The bartender turned around from the sink below the shelves of liquor and looked at Jaehyun.

“What do you know about, maybe, men who aren't interested in women?” Jaehyun asked, not looking up from his drink.

“You mean they're interested in men? I think there are a few actors like that nowadays.” Taeil sped right past Jaehyun’s attempted subtlety. “Why do you ask?”

“There's, um, a prospect that I’m interested in. Actually, I guess he's working for me now officially as of this afternoon.” Jaehyun conceded, running his hand through his soft hair. “I met him earlier and I've been thinking about him ever since." 

Taeil quirked an eyebrow. “Well, you're the boss. Isn't it up to you to decide what business you engage in?” 

“It is.” Jaehyun sighed. Taeil wasn't one for business advice. When someone walked down the creaking stairs, Jaehyun couldn't help but look up. Most people were going and not coming at this hour. 

It was Taeyong walking down the stairs. Jaehyun felt his cheeks blush in the slightest and he tried to avert his gaze as the man sat down at a table over in the corner. He looked just like how he did yesterday, as if he had come in from a cold, windy night. Snow was to fall soon but the weather couldn't explain his pink cheeks and tousled hair. 

“Excuse me for a second, Taeil,” Jaehyun murmured as he scooted in his seat. He walked over to where Taeyong was sitting, trying not to draw attention to himself. 

“Do you mind if I take a seat?” Jaehyun asked and Taeyong hardly glanced up from the table. 

“Sure,” Taeyong mumbled in reply. “What can I do for you, Mr. Jung?” He finally met Jaehyun’s eyes. 

“I don't need anything from you, I just make it a habit to get to know my subordinates, especially those who catch my attention specifically,” Jaehyun said. He flagged down a passing server. “Two whiskey on the rocks, please.” 

“Interesting. What would you like to know about me?” Taeyong was staring defensively at Jaehyun as he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. Two identical bruises marred his forearms, both in the shape of someone's hand grabbing onto them. Jaehyun couldn't help the drop in his stomach when he saw them. 

Eyes returning to Taeyong, Jaehyun tried his best to hold his gaze despite Taeyong’s eyes boring into his. “How did you get into this business?” 

“It's not anything special. My mother and father caught me with another man and I was bloodied and out on the street before I knew it,” Taeyong shifted his arm and a long scar came into view. “After being cut up and beat until I didn't know where I was, I didn't have anywhere to go and I needed to make money somehow.” 

God, Taeyong’s eyes were so hard. So hard Jaehyun felt a little uncomfortable. Taeyong’s whole aura screamed at Jaehyun not to pry despite his curiosity. “I can personally ensure that nothing like that ever happens to you again.”

“It already has. Some of these clients have no other way to vent their frustration.” Ah, so that's where the bruises on his arms came from, Jaehyun thought. “I guess I understand them, being a homosexual myself. It's hard to be someone who many people find disgusting and not want to take it out somehow. Maybe that's why I started smoking,” Taeyong smiled self-deprecatingly. “I do what I can to survive and that's okay, I suppose.” Taeyong’s words softened but his gaze didn't. 

The waiter finally came back with the drinks, smiling nervously at Jaehyun. He gave him a small thank you and turned his attention back to Taeyong, about to ask another question and maybe confess something he shouldn't. However, Taeyong was suddenly on his feet. 

“I don't like whiskey,” Taeyong said, still not breaking eye contact. Jaehyun was only a little dumbfounded when Taeyong turned on his heel and walked back up the stairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> helllooooo! i was feeling inspired so i decided to update quickly. I really really appreciate everyone whos left comments or kudos! see you next time


	3. 03

It was later that week when Jaehyun finally got a hold of Johnny. He, Johnny, Sicheng, and Doyoung were all in his office. Jaehyun leaned back in his armchair while the others were standing in front of him. 

“What’s new, Johnny?” Jaehyun asked, swirling the drink in his hand and letting the ice clink against the sides of the glass. “Is Byun gaining any traction?”

“Maybe just a little. According to Doyoung, that speakeasy uptown is starting to buy from him. I think it was because one of Byun’s cronies threatened the owner, though. I could always go in and try to persuade him,” Johnny responded, leaning back against a bookshelf in the corner of Jaehyun’s office. “Truthfully, Byun doesn’t have much of a clue what he’s doing. He’s just lucky he has some capable underlings to do the work for him. He can’t just try and take our business without expecting some retribution.” 

“Do you have any ideas on how to stop him before he gains any more momentum? If his subordinates are intimidating enough to extort the speakeasy owner uptown, it’s likely more and more establishments will concede,” Jaehyun questioned. “I know that owner and he’s not in any way weak-willed.”

“I can try and find some information about when Byun’s next shipment comes in. When it does, we might have a chance to show him who’s in charge in this city,” Doyoung smiled. Doyoung was Jaehyun’s source of intel. If Jaehyun needed to know anything, Doyoung was the one to ask. He had an in with Byun’s cohort and while Jaehyun didn’t know the details of it, he wasn’t worried about it. Johnny had recruited Doyoung and he trusted him, so Jaehyun trusted him as well. 

“Let me know when you find anything out, Doyoung. Speaking of shipments, when’s our next shipment, Sicheng?” Jaehyun asked. 

“We have a smaller one a couple weeks from now, and then a big one in a month or so. It’ll all be mixed in with other stuff you need for the hotel. Ten and I will take care of moving it and we’ll secure it’s position,” Sicheng replied--he was the one in charge of arranging alcohol deliveries as well and making sure it was hidden from the authorities. 

“Great. It sounds like things are under control for now,” Jaehyun leaned back in his chair, letting out a deep exhale. “Anything else?”

The three men in front of Jaehyun glanced at each other and then back at the boss. “I think that’s all for now. I’ll give you a call if anything else comes up,” Johnny concluded, walking out the office door with Sicheng following close behind him. Doyoung lingered for a moment. 

“How are you feeling about Byun?” the smaller man asked. He was looking at his feet, only glancing up at Jaehyun when he didn’t answer for a moment. Truthfully, Jaehyun didn’t know Doyoung very well. The fact that he stayed behind was strange, especially because most of the time he worked with Johnny exclusively. Jaehyun studied Doyoung’s face in the brief silence. He had large eyes and a gummy, innocent smile. Inviting, Jaehyun thought. 

“I’m not too worried, to be honest. We have the shipments coming in, and I trust my subordinates to make sure everything runs smoothly. There isn’t much in this city for Byun to grab onto, mostly because it all already belongs to me.” Jaehyun was certain about this. He had confidence in his power over the city.

“It’s okay if you are worried, though. There hasn’t been a serious threat to you in a while, or at least that’s what Johnny told me.” Doyoung moved towards the door. “I know that we don’t know each other that well but you can be honest with me. The others and I are here to help.” He smiled and opened the door. “See you later, Jae.” Doyoung left the office. His usage of Jaehyun’s nickname didn’t go unnoticed by the black haired man. 

~~~~~~

Jaehyun had stopped thinking about his interaction with Doyoung by a few days later. Doyoung was just being friendly, Jaehyun concluded. Jaehyun liked to know his coworkers himself, so why would it be weird if Doyoung did the same?

Taeyong, on the other hand, hadn’t left Jaehyun’s mind since that night at the bar. Something about Taeyong was undeniably magnetic to Jaehyun. Taeyong’s gaze was burned into Jaehyun’s mind and it still unsettled him--the feeling in his gut undeniable. He was a little intimidated by Taeyong, but for some reason he longed to get the chance to talk to him again. The way he acted with him was jarring. He showed no fear when talking to the taller man and Jaehyun hated that he found it intriguing, almost sexy. Maybe not just almost. Truthfully, Jaehyun would definitely not mind hearing how Taeyong’s voice sounded while he was under Jaehyun, writhing. Would his voice be as hard, sounding just as indignant? 

Maybe his voice would soften, and each press into his skin by Jaehyun would yield a breathy moan or whimper. Jaehyun felt his face heat up at the thought and a funny feeling settled in his stomach. He had to stop himself before his mind started running more. He hardly knew the man, however that didn’t stop him from going downstairs later that night in hopes of running into Taeyong again. 

Jaehyun occupied his seat at the bar later that night.

“Waiting for someone?” Taeil smiled at Jaehyun. He noticed Jaehyun’s eagerness to talk to that other man last time he was there. “He comes by here most nights but he hardly ever drinks. Sometimes with the way he looks I can’t bear to kick him out even though he’s not technically a customer.”

“I don’t really know what it is about him that attracts me so much.” Jaehyun muttered, feeling nervous. He knew that after knowing Taeil for quite some time, the older man could read him well. Taeil’s smile morphed into something more knowing. “Please don’t tell anyone.” Jaehyun pleaded, quietly.

“Whatever you’re feeling right now is okay, Jae. And you don’t have to worry about me telling anyone anything. You know that,” Taeil’s expression was warm. Jaehyun was grateful for him. 

“Thank you, Taeil.”

Almost like clockwork, Taeyong made his way down the stairs and into the thick atmosphere of the bar. Jaehyun looked up and his stomach dropped to the floor--Taeyong had an angry, purple bruise on his cheekbone. Jae couldn’t tear his eyes away as the other man went at sat at that same corner booth. Jaehyun got up and followed him right away and didn’t even ask if he could sit down across the booth from Taeyong. Secretly, Jaehyun was happy he had an excuse to go over to the other man. 

“Is that from a client?” Jaehyun cut to the chase. When he said he wouldn’t let Taeyong get hurt, he wasn’t lying. Taeyong only looked at him, not saying a word and then averting his gaze. “I told you I wouldn’t let that happen. Did you talk to Yuta about this?”

“No, I didn’t think it was worth it to waste his time. This is an old client of mine, it’s happened before,” the black haired man pulled a cigarette from his shirt pocket and lit it. “I’d rather not lose the customer.”

“You work for me now, and I don’t tolerate abuse against any of my associates--regardless of how new they are or how well I know them. Most of the people in this bar work for me and most of them don’t know that I’m sitting right next to them. But if I catch wind of anyone getting hurt, there will be consequences for the perpetrator.” Jaehyun leaned forward, his elbows on the table. “Who is this client?”

Jaehyun knew he was being over the top. He knew that in the grand scheme of things, he shouldn’t care that some whore who works for him got beat up occasionally. He was a boss, he was supposed to be hard, uncaring, and ruthless. Unfortunately for him, that wasn’t the case. He couldn’t help it that his heart ached when he saw the bruised man in front of him, the man with the beautiful features and a quiet fire in his eyes. 

“What would you do if I told you to back off?” Taeyong questioned after a long drag of his cigarette, leaning back against the leather booth. 

“I would insist, I would insist that you told me where I could find this person. I don’t want to see you hurt.” God, why did Jaehyun just say that? Why can’t he stop himself from caring? It can’t just be because he didn’t want to see such a pretty face marred by someone’s fist. He just didn’t want to see this man in front of him hurt for the sake of survival, for someone with such a seemingly rough past to have to continue suffering. The more Jaehyun mulled over it, the more he actually admired Taeyong. Jaehyun’s life had been handed to him, he didn’t have to work for his power or his cushy penthouse or anything else that he had. 

“You know,” Taeyong began, leaning forward until Jaehyun and his faces were only breaths apart. He reached forward and lightly dragged his fingers up Jaehyun’s throat, slightly rough fingertips grazing over his Adam’s apple and then slipping off of his chin. “You’re too nice for your own good.” Jaehyun was frozen. Taeyong leaned in and kissed the corner of Jaehyun’s mouth and smiled for the first time in front of the man across from him. Jaehyun didn’t have a chance to respond before Taeyong stood up and left the bar, leaving him even more dumbfounded than their last encounter.

Later that night when Jaehyun was in bed alone, his mind couldn’t help but wander to Taeyong and his plush lips as he touched himself, thinking about that soft mouth and how it would feel all over him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol idk i still don't know exactly where this is going. i wanted to drag jaehyun and taeyong's relationship out a little bit more but i got impatient. as always i rlly appreciate all the comments and kudos. thanks!


	4. 04

Jaehyun made it a point to try and catch Taeyong at the bar every night. He didn't always go over to try and converse-he didn't have the courage. Instead, he stole glances at the slender legs coming down the stairs, the hooded eyes that blinked slowly, and the lips that wrapped around the cigarette Taeyong pulled out every night without fail. 

 

“You’re being obvious, Jaehyun.” Taeil remarked with a smirk, standing behind the bar in front of the boss’s stool. “Would you just go over there? I'm sick of watching you and your lovesick eyes following that guy around all the time.”

 

“How can I just go over him? What could I even say?” Jaehyun sneered, finding the prospect of mustering even an ounce of courage ridiculous. 

 

“I don't know, maybe you could ask him for a light.”

 

“Okay, fine. I'll go over there.” Jaehyun stood up from his spot and dragged his feet over to Taeyong’s usual booth. 

 

“I was wondering if you were ever gonna come over here and finally stop staring at me whenever I came in.” Taeyong said casually. Jaehyun was speechless. He was going to pretend Taeyong didn't just say that. 

 

“Uh, can I get you a drink?” Jaehyun mumbled, feeling embarrassed. 

 

“Normally I don't drink, but I'll have something tonight. A gin and tonic, please.” Jaehyun almost ran over to the bar and gave Taeil the order. Taeil couldn't help but chuckle at Jaehyun. He was whipped already and he hardly even knew the object of his affections. 

 

Jaehyun sat back down with the drinks, taking a sip of his own scotch. “Thank you, Mr. Jung,” Taeyong purred, looking up at Jaehyun through his eyelashes. Jaehyun could have been losing his mind, but he swore Taeyong was trying to be infuriatingly sexy. Maybe that was just how he was, that's why he was good at his job--Jaehyun tried not to get his hopes up. 

 

“So, where do you stay?” Jaehyun tried to make conversation. He also wanted to know more about the man in front of him. 

 

“Wherever I can, honestly. I don't have a place of my own. Sometimes I'll stay at a client’s house but most of the time I would rather die than stay there for a second longer than I had to.” Taeyong tended up a little, as if remembering something unpleasant.

 

“Why is that?” Jaehyun bit his tongue after saying that, feeling like he may have crossed a line. Taeyong snorted.

 

“Well, it's not like having sex with them is exactly pleasant, most of the time. Lots of them are old, and I have to pretend to be something I’m not. They want me to be all pretty and submissive and I'll get hurt if I'm not. They want to own me, but that's not really who I am or what I'm into.” Taeyong took a sip of his drink, squeezing the lemon that came on the edge of the glass into the liquor. 

 

Jaehyun was a little embarrassed, he hadn't expected Taeyong to speak so frankly. His mind was racing, thinking of a whimpering and flushed Taeyong begging for his--. He needed to stop. Jaehyun felt a little guilty for imagining exactly what Taeyong said he didn't like. “What are you into, then?” What had just come over Jaehyun? He's an idiot, a bumbling idiot who can't keep his mouth shut and has no concept of subtlety.

 

“It depends on who I’m with, I guess.” Taeyong’s hard gaze was back, boring into Jaehyun. This time, however, there was a twinge of something else. Hunger, maybe? “But as for myself, I think you can tell that I'm independent. I don't take shit from people, but you probably think that's not true since I waltz in here with a new bruise every night.” Taeyong smiled bitterly. 

 

“I wouldn't want to own you.” That came out so wrong--Jaehyun quickly backtracked. “I- I just mean that if you were mine and I was yours, you would still be your own person, hopefully. I wouldn't try to control you or anything.” The younger man couldn’t keep the tremor out of his voice. 

 

“Is that something you want?” The hunger in Taeyong’s eyes was morphing into something more dangerous.

 

“What?”

 

“For you to be mine and me to be yours. Is that something you want?” Taeyong murmured, leaning in close to Jaehyun’s face. 

 

“I- I, yes.” Jaehyun stuttered. 

 

“And if I wasn't the perfect little submissive slut you wanted, you wouldn't hurt me?”

 

Jaehyun’s stomach dropped a little, sad that Taeyong would ever even think that Jaehyun would hurt him. He met the older man’s eyes and found them slightly more vulnerable than before. “I would never hurt you.”

 

Taeyong smiled at this. It was a real smile, not a laugh where his eyes crinkled up but it was enough for Jaehyun. He would do anything to keep that smile on his face. 

 

“Is it possible for us to move this conversation into your office?” Taeyong had leaned in and was whispering into Jaehyun's ear. A violent shudder ran down Jaehyun’s spine and he swore that the other man probably felt it. A fire began to light in the bottom of Jaehyun’s gut. 

 

Without saying anything, Jaehyun grabbed the other man’s wrist and led him to the door that would take him to his office. He whipped the door open and slammed it shut, taking no time at all to push Taeyong up against the door and kiss him, hard. Taeyong kissed back, bringing his fingers into Jaehyun’s hair and pulling until it hurt. 

 

They kissed like that for a while, but Taeyong wanted more. Jaehyun felt a tongue on his lips and he opened his mouth instinctively. A shuddering breath left his lungs and he was starting to feel so turned on it hurt. Jaehyun pushed back at Taeyong, putting his hands on either side of the smaller man against the door. He licked the inside of Taeyong’s mouth and sucked on his lower lip, giving it a bite every so often. 

 

Taeyong was still standing his ground, but Jaehyun felt that he was beginning to crumble at his mercy. Jaehyun moved down to Taeyong’s neck, kissing the soft skin and biting down hard on his nape when Taeyong pulled especially hard on his hair. 

 

When Jaehyun pulled away and looked at Taeyong, he felt like his soul had left his body. Taeyong was seduction personified. His hair was mussed, there was traces of sweat near his temples, and his eyes were barely open, hooded with desire. That didn't even include his pink splotches cheeks and lips swollen by kisses. Jaehyun sucked in a breath and leaned in to kiss the other man again, moving his hands from the door to fist them in the collar of Taeyong’s shirt. Jaehyun tugged and pulled Taeyong impossibly closer. 

 

After a moment, hands pushed Jaehyun away and he could have cried at the lack of warmth against his body, at the lack of Taeyong’s taste in his mouth. It was satisfying that Taeyong looked as wrecked as Jaehyun felt. 

 

“I'll be here again tomorrow night. I expect to see you in that same booth,” Taeyong leaned in and whispered into Jaehyun's ear. The older man was gone before Jaehyun even gained the mental capacity to comprehend what he just said. Taeyong was always leaving him speechless, and Jaehyun desperately wanted more. 

 

~~~~~~~

 

“Hello, Jaehyun?” Johnny’s fingers snapping in his face pulled Jaehyun out of his reverie, most likely a fantasy involving a certain associate of his. Jaehyun was sitting in his office the morning after his encounter with Taeyong. “Do you have any idea what I just said?”

 

“Sorry, tell me again,” Jaehyun mumbled, feeling a little ashamed. He should be focused on his work, not on Taeyong. Work was his priority--he was the boss and it was up to him to fulfill the necessary duties. 

 

“That motherfucker Byun caught wind of our shipment and ruined everything. Are you listening? He came to the pier with all of his cronies and took everything. We didn't have enough guys with us to fight him off. Sicheng could have died,” Johnny nearly yelled, pointing at a bloodied Sicheng in the corner. 

 

Jaehyun bristled with a combination of irritation and worry. “How the hell did they find out about the shipment? Doyoung, do you know?” Doyoung, leaning against the wall, scoffed.

 

“Hell if I know, that asshole Byun just showed up,” Doyoung sneered. Jaehyun felt more irritated. 

 

“And why didn't you bring more people if you were worried about it?” Jaehyun demanded, bringing his attention to Sicheng in the opposite corner. 

 

“Because you insisted Byun was nothing to worry about and that just bringing the usual set of guys was good enough. You gave me the okay the day of, do you even remember?” This was the first time Jaehyun heard Sicheng speaking with so much hostility. “Maybe you should take Byun seriously.”

 

“I was taking him seriously before,” Jaehyun trailed off, leaning back and feeling a little attacked by the three angry men in front of him. “The next shipment is in a few weeks, right? And it's a big one? I’m sure Byun will hear about that one too.” Jaehyun sighed. “We’ll prepare for him to interfere but this time we’ll have the manpower to make sure nothing goes wrong.”

 

“I think you should be there when everyone goes to help with the next shipment,” Doyoung said and the three others looked at him surprised. The boss never did the dirty work, mostly for his own safety. If something bad happened to the boss, then the rest of the mob would crumble. 

 

“Are you serious, Doyoung?” Jaehyun was skeptical of the suggestion. 

 

“I am. Byun will figure out that you'll be there just like how he figured everything else out and I think that'll deter him from coming. Knowing the fabled, vicious Mr. Jung was at the pier might intimidate him,” Doyoung said, smirking. 

 

“What do you guys think?” Jaehyun asked, turning to Johnny and Sicheng. 

 

“I don't think it's a bad idea, necessarily. I don't think there will be danger for you, Jae, especially if we have the appropriate reinforcements,” Johnny conceded, much to Jaehyun’s shock. “Are you okay with this, Sicheng? This all has to do with your dealings.”

 

“I think it's a good idea. Byun has to know who's boss somehow.” Sicheng said confidently, with a smirk. 

 

“So be it.” Jaehyun leaned back in his big leather chair and took a sip of his scotch on the desk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry if there are typos lol im lazy and have no beta. hope you guys are enjoying the story so far


	5. 05

Jaehyun felt troubled by the incident with the shipment when he was trying to fall asleep that night, but the prospect of meeting Taeyong again had him excited. He fell asleep dreaming of soft black hair in between his fingers and the faint smell of smoke. 

He woke up late the next morning, feeling a little guilty for sleeping in but eventually deciding fuck it, I’m the boss and I can do what I want. Jaehyun still had to assure himself that he was in control, that he had power and that he was confident. It felt a little unnatural. He eventually rose from bed, bathed, and got dressed in his usual get-up of slim pants, a button down, and oxford shoes. To someone else, he probably looked dressed to the nines, but Jaehyun felt like nothing special. 

Day turned to night, and Jaehyun was thrumming with excitement. He was thrilled that Taeyong wanted to meet up with him again, and he couldn’t help but wonder what the night might turn into. His mind wandered to Taeyong splayed out against his pillow, panting, tears forming--Jaehyun stopped himself. Don’t get your hopes up, Jaehyun thought. More than that, he just wanted to talk to Taeyong again. Something about him was so intriguing and Jaehyun wanted to know more.

Taeil was expecting him by the time he made his way down to the bar. Taeyong wasn’t there yet, so Jaehyun figured he would talk to his friend. “Any updates on that guy? I was watching you two last night and it looked like things got pretty steamy,” Taeil wiggled his eyebrows and Jaehyun smacked him on the arm. 

“It’s not like that.” Wait, but it is. “I-I like him as a person too. The fact that he’s unbelievably gorgeous is just a bonus,” Jaehyun says, truly meaning it. There was a beat of silence and Jaehyun jumped a little bit when Doyoung sat down in the stool next to him. Jaehyun let out a sigh. “You startled me.”

“Heh, sorry boss. I just thought I would come down and say hi since I was in the area.” Doyoung grinned. 

“Right,” Jaehyun mumbled. He noticed that Taeil was standing awkwardly behind the bar. “Oh, this is Taeil. He tends bar here and he’s been a friend of mine since we were children.” Taeil bowed his head the slightest bit.

“Nice to meet you,” Doyoung smiled. Jaehyun was a little uncomfortable, he still didn’t know Doyoung that well. There was tension in the air and Doyoung picked up on it, scooting out from the bar and standing up. “Well, I have something to take care of. See you soon, Jae. And nice to meet you, Taeil,” Doyoung left rather quickly.

“That was weird. Who was that guy?” Taeil was washing dishes at the sink. 

“Some guy Johnny recruited. He has some in with Byun, so were using him for intelligence. I haven’t talked to him much,” Jaehyun confessed. “He mostly deals with Johnny and then Johnny reports to me.”

“It’s not like you to not know much about a subordinate,” Taeil reckoned, picking up a towel and drying a scotch glass.

“I know. I’m sure I’ll get to know him in due time,” Jaehyun let out a breath that he felt like he had been holding in for the past five minutes. Some time passed as Jaehyun and Taeil made light conversation, laughing like the friends that they were. Suddenly Taeil coughed and looked up at the stairs. Taeyong was coming down, looking stunning in the low light of the bar. Jaehyun stared at him as he walked over to their booth and he followed soon after.

“You came,” Jaehyun gurgled, feeling embarrassed. It was obvious how flustered Taeyong made him.

“I’m a man of my word, Mr. Jung,” a mischievous smile spread on the older man’s lips. “Especially if it means I get to see you.” 

Taeyong wanted to fucking kill him, Jaehyun decided. Every word out of his mouth was flirtatious and the way he looked at him begged for attention. “I was excited for tonight, too,” Jaehyun said, unable to look Taeyong in the eye. Why was he so shy? 

“Tell me a secret.” Taeyong’s request startled Jaehyun. 

“Like what?” Jaehyun managed to reply, somehow. Taeyong leaned back against the booth, eyeing Jaehyun carefully. 

“Tell me something you wouldn't tell anyone else,” Taeyong nearly demanded.

Jaehyun felt even more embarrassed. Why should he tell this man in front of him some deep secret? Why did he deserve to know what went on in Jaehyun’s head when no one was paying attention? Jaehyun didn't know, but the enigmatic man in front of him made him want to spill everything. Despite the racing heart and pink cheeks, Jaehyun felt comfortable with Taeyong. 

“Sometimes I feel like I’m not cut out for this job. I was born into the role, but I don't think I have the temperament for it. I'm soft, weak even, but I have to pretend like I'm a stone cold killer, willing to do anything for power and wealth.” Jaehyun smiled self-deprecatingly. “Sometimes I wish I could just be normal. I wish I could have some stupid factory job and live paycheck to paycheck, but have the bliss of waking up to someone I love. That's stupid, isn't it?” It wasn't a question in Jaehyun’s mind. 

“It's not stupid, Jaehyun,” Taeyong murmured, his gaze softened from before. Taeyong looked at Jaehyun with something in his eyes that Jaehyun had never seen. Pity, maybe? 

“Your turn.” It was Jaehyun’s turn to make demands. 

“No, thank you,” Taeyong replied with a curt smile. 

Feeling cheated, a puff of air escaped Jaehyun’s nose. “That's not fair, you made me tell you something and I was actually open and honest with you, it's only right that y--” Jae’s monologue was silenced by Taeyong’s finger on his lips. 

“Fine,” Taeyong sighed, blinking slowly. 

Taeyong exhaled, almost exasperatedly. He looked away from a moment, seeming lost in thought. Jaehyun watched him closely. 

“Sometimes I feel like I'm not meant to happy.” A small voice, the smallest Jaehyun had ever heard, sounded from Taeyong’s lips. Jaehyun could swear he saw Taeyong’s shoulders tremble as he said it. All seduction disappeared from his voice and was replaced with rawness instead. 

“Why?”

“Everything has always been complete shit. I know that my own family despises me, finds me disgusting, and I try and look for comfort sleeping with random people for money. I've known for a while now, I think, that it doesn't work. I’m still deeply unhappy.” Taeyong looked back up at Jaehyun. “I don't deserve happiness, I think.” 

Half in love with him, Jaehyun reached forward and put his palm on Taeyong’s cheek. His heart broke for the man in front of him. Never had he seen him so vulnerable; it was if the shell that covered Taeyong when they first met had shattered. “If I could make you happy, I would. You definitely deserve it.” Jaehyun tried to comfort the other man. 

“You live in this building, right?” Taeyong looked up through his eyelashes at Jaehyun, a touch of red dusting his cheeks. 

“Yes, why?” Jaehyun asked, innocently. 

“Do you think we can go there?” Taeyong said, and nerves began to thrum through Jaehyun’s body once again. 

“Yes,” Jaehyun breathed, “yes, it's on the top floor.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Jaehyun was out of breath from Taeyong dragging him all the way up the stairs, but the smaller man slamming him against the front wall of his apartment took his breath away just a touch more. Taeyong pulled the collar of Jaehyun’s shirt to bring the taller man to his level and kiss him hard. Jaehyun felt like his knees might have given out anyway. Taeyong was licking into his mouth, stealing air from his lungs and coherence from his mind. Last night, Jaehyun was the dominant one, the one pushing Taeyong against a wall and pressing their lips together and bringing the other to his mercy. Tonight, surprisingly, Jaehyun was letting Taeyong take charge. Taeyong bit his bottom lip hard and he whimpered, eliciting a growl from Taeyong. Jaehyun wanted to submit, to let the incredibly beautiful man in front of him do all the work. The feeling was acutely unfamiliar, but if it was Taeyong, Jaehyun thought, if it was Taeyong it would be alright. 

Taeyong was starting to unbutton Jaehyun’s shirt, exposing his pale expanse of skin and the firmness of his chest. The older man mouthed at Jaehyun’s collarbones as he slipped the shirt off of his shoulders and threw it onto the ground. Taeyong bit down, hard, and Jaehyun hated himself a little for how that made his cock throb. Taeyong made his way down Jaehyun’s chest, lapping at a nipple, kissing the soft flesh of his tummy, and leaving a mark on the younger man’s hip bone. Taeyong was on his knees now, looking up at Jaehyun with an impish look on his face. Jaehyun could have passed out at how turned on he was and how hot Taeyong was. “Can I?” Taeyong asked, his eyes feigning innocence. All Jaehyun could do was nod. 

A well practiced Taeyong quickly undid Jaehyun’s belt and pulled down his pants, leaving the other man naked except for his underwear. Taeyong pressed his lips to the outline of Jaehyun’s cock, wetting the fabric and looking up at Jaehyun. Jaehyun exhaled, it felt good, but he needed more. He was getting harder by the second and he wanted release so bad. Taeyong slid his underwear off his hips torturously slow, not breaking eye contact. When Jaehyun’s length sprang free, Taeyong licked his lips. 

“You’re big.”

Jaehyun could have died--no, he did die as soon as Taeyong wrapped his lips around his cock, tongue rubbing against the underside of the tip, dipping into the slit. It felt so good, so fucking amazing and Jaehyun swore this was better than he could have ever imagined. Pleasure was thrumming through his veins and he felt it coursing through his body as he brought his hands down to card through Taeyong’s hair, affectionately. His brain couldn’t process anything besides Taeyong, Taeyong, Taeyong, and it took everything he had not to thrust into the older man’s mouth. Taeyong’s nose hit the base of his stomach, throat clenched around his cock and Jaehyun had to bring a fist to his mouth to stop from moaning. Taeyong noticed.

“I want to hear you, I want to know how good I make you feel,” Taeyong breathed, lips slick with saliva. He was evil, Jaehyun thought. Taeyong was sent here to be evil and make Jaehyun completely lose control and crumble. Taeyong’s mouth was back around his member and he gave a particularly hard suck--Jaehyun couldn’t help but let out an embarrassing noise from the back of his throat. 

Spurred on by the whimper, Taeyong moved his head faster and Jaehyun was feeling dizzy, breathy moans escaping his lips with every movement of Taeyong’s lips and he felt himself beginning to lose it. A searing heat was building in his gut, his thighs, and he wanted to give into it so bad. He needed it so badly, needed Taeyong so badly. 

“Fuck, Taeyong, I’m going t-” and the sensation was gone. Taeyong had slipped off his cock and was grinning up at Jaehyun, obviously pleased with how broken Jaehyun was. Jaehyun could have sobbed, he actually might have but his mind was too clouded with Taeyong to notice. Taeyong rose to his feet, meeting Jaehyun’s lips in a bruising kiss. Jaehyun could taste himself in Taeyong’s mouth and fuck, he liked it. 

“Bed, now,” Taeyong insisted and Jaehyun would have been stupid to say no. His clothes laid in a pile near his front door and he felt a little exposed, especially considering Taeyong was still fully clothed. Jaehyun pointed to the door and Taeyong pushed him in that direction, a sick hunger in his eyes. “I want you so bad,” he murmured, and Jaehyun got even harder if that was possible. They made their way into the bedroom and Taeyong pushed Jaehyun until the back of his legs hit the bed and he fell backwards onto the soft blanket. Taeyong stood in front of him and began to unbutton his shirt, quickly tugging it off and then moving onto his belt and pants. Jaehyun brought himself up onto his elbows to admire Taeyong, his body illuminated by only the faraway front hall lamp and nothing else. He was thin with broad shoulders and narrow hips, his skin was smooth and Jaehyun’s mouth felt dry. As he pulled his pants off, Jaehyun noticed the hand shaped bruises on his hips and his stomach twisted. 

Was Jaehyun jealous? No, that couldn’t be it, Taeyong wasn’t even his--despite how much he wanted him to be. Maybe he felt bad because he knew that Taeyong must have hurt for those bruises to appear and he probably didn’t even want it. Jaehyun couldn’t decide what was the truth because Taeyong was soon over him, kissing him senseless. Taeyong brought his hand down to Jaehyun’s cock and Jaehyun couldn’t help but throw his head back against the pillow. Taeyong took the opportunity to suck on Jaehyun’s neck, leaving god knows how many hickies. 

After a moment, Taeyong pulled away, still just breaths away from Jaehyun’s lips. “Do you have any lube?” he whispered, and Jaehyun shuddered for the second time that night. 

“There’s lotion in the bathroom,” Jaehyun somehow managed to reply, pointing to the door. Taeyong was gone and returned in no time, coming back with lotion. The situation finally hit Jaehyun. Oh shit, Taeyong is about to fuck me, he thought, screwing his eyes shut. Jaehyun had never taken it before, he was always the one pressing his cock into someone else, not the other way around. Taeyong took some lotion on his fingers and warmed it up, knees on either side of Jaehyun’s hips.   
Jaehyun hoped to god Taeyong couldn’t see him trembling. He wanted Taeyong so bad, wanted him in every way, but he was afraid. He knew this was going to hurt and he needed to mentally prepare. Think about Taeyong, think about how beautiful he is and how you want to give yourself to him in every way, and--Jaehyun stopped thinking. It was suddenly weird how Taeyong hadn’t touched him yet; it had been a few moments since he saw Taeyong get the lotion and then closed his eyes. His eyes snapped open when he heard a moan from Taeyong.

His eyes were greeted with the sight of Taeyong with his arm reached behind himself, and Jaehyun could only imagine what he was doing. The younger man couldn’t help but moan himself at the deeply erotic sight. There was a sense of relief that he wasn’t the one who was going to be fucked, but then he realized that he was about to be inside Taeyong. Before this, he didn’t let himself think of how it would feel to be buried inside Taeyong, beautiful Taeyong. It wasn’t fair to him and he didn’t want to get his hopes up, because why would Taeyong want someone like him? Jaehyun watched Taeyong finger himself and brought his hands to hips, stroking gently over the bruises that marred them. 

“Are you ready?” Taeyong breathed, sounding blissful. 

“I should ask you the same thing, are you prepped enough?” Jaehyun was suddenly worried, he didn’t want Taeyong to be in pain. 

“I don’t care, I want you so bad,” Taeyong moaned as he sunk slowly down onto Jaehyun’s cock. Jaehyun’s mind went blank, the tight heat around his cock was all he could think about and he threw his head to the side, breathing heavily. Taeyong was equally as wrecked, falling down and holding himself over Jaehyun’s chest before he could move. Jaehyun turned his head and brought Taeyong down for a messy kiss, wanting to feel the other man as much as possible. Taeyong started to move and Jaehyun decided this was absolute bliss, this was heaven--an incredibly beautiful person on top of him, opening up to him and letting Jaehyun be with him in the most intimate of ways. Jaehyun couldn’t help but moan and grip the back of Taeyong’s neck, kissing him again and wanting to taste him. Taeyong whimpered into his mouth and brought his hands onto Jaehyun’s shoulders, gripping tightly. 

Taeyong broke the kiss and sat back up, still riding Jaehyun but looking so fucked with his messy hair and swollen lips. He was riding Jaehyun hard, exerting himself and sweat started to bead near his hairline. “Fuck Jaehyunnie, baby, you feel so good,” Taeyong managed to get out, his head thrown back at this point. Jaehyun could feel him start to get tired and Taeyong looked at him with a need in his eyes that Jaehyun had never seen. “Will you fuck me? Please, I need it so bad,” Taeyong whimpered, and Jaehyun’s soul left his body. An instinctual feeling came over him and he sat up, lifting Taeyong off of him and setting him on the bed. Jaehyun crawled over him, kissing him hard and pulling his hips flush to his own. He lined up his cock with Taeyong and pushed in, wasting no time to begin thrusting into the heat. 

“Oh god, yes, please Jaehyunnie more more more,” Taeyong sounded so frantic and Jaehyun lost control, fucking Taeyong senseless. It was such a different dynamic than before, when Jaehyun was being shoved up against a wall by Taeyong and being manhandled. He liked that both this and that felt natural, felt right. 

“I want to come, please, baby,” Taeyong’s voice rose in pitch, and Jaehyun reached down to grab Taeyong’s member, jerking it messily in time with his thrusts. Taeyong must have been close because it was only a few strokes until he came white hot onto his chest with a keen. Taeyong drove Jaehyun to the edge as pleasure took over him and he came into Taeyong, sweet release washing over him. He felt so calm despite his pounding heart. He wasn’t nervous anymore. Jaehyun collapsed down next to Taeyong, panting. After a moment, he came down from his high and moved closer to Taeyong, reaching under his chin to tilt his head upward for a kiss. Taeyong obliged, rolling onto his side and grabbing the sides of Jaehyun’s face gently. They kissed lazily for a little while, not interested in doing anything else.

Taeyong pulled away eventually and looked at Jaehyun. It was funny how Taeyong’s expression changed constantly and how clearly his eyes gave him away. Taeyong was looking at Jaehyun was a sweet sort of adoration, of comfort and Jaehyun felt his heart swell in his chest. “I love kissing you, but could you get a towel?” Taeyong asked in a soft voice. 

“Oh, oh yeah of course,” Jaehyun said, almost running to get a towel from the bathroom. He wanted Taeyong to be as comfortable as possible. He came back and wiped up the mess from their bodies, suddenly reminded of what just happened. Jaehyun smiled at the thought. After he was done cleaning up he tossed the towel onto the ground and got back in bed, snuggling up to Taeyong and throwing his arm over the other man’s waist. “That was amazing,” Jaehyun mumbled into Taeyong’s shoulder.

“It was. You’re pretty special, Jaehyun,” Taeyong said, fingers stroking through Jaehyun’s hair. Jaehyun smiled, knowing that Taeyong could feel it against his skin. 

“Why do you say that?” Jaehyun wanted to know so bad. 

“I don’t know. I feel like you look at me in a way that nobody ever has before, like you actually care about me,” Taeyong murmured, resting his other hand on Jaehyun’s cheek. “Am I wrong?”

“You’re not wrong, Taeyong, you’re far from it,” Jaehyun conceded, feeling especially vulnerable given the circumstances.

Taeyong scoffed. “You hardly know me, why would you care about me?” he said with a twinge of insecurity. At this Jaehyun sat up and moved so he was on top of Taeyong. He wanted for Taeyong to look at his face while he said what he was about to say.

“I do care, I do because there’s something about you that I just can’t get enough of. I love how strong you are but I’ve also seen glimpses of your sensitivity. You’re magnetic and I admire you so much, for being so strong and for what you’ve gone through. You being the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen doesn’t hurt either,” Jaehyun said, suddenly overcome with the confidence to address his feelings. Taeyong was blushing he looked away from Jaehyun, a small smile gracing his lips. He pulled Jaehyun down until his weight was completely on top of the smaller man, Taeyong’s face buried into the nape of Jaehyun’s neck. 

Jaehyun just held Taeyong until the elder loosened his grip and pushed gently on Jaehyun’s shoulders. “It’s a little hard to breathe,” Taeyong laughed, and Jaehyun laughed too. He opted instead to wrap himself around Taeyong’s side, holding him tightly. There was a beat of silence, but Jaehyun wasn’t uncomfortable. They were quiet for a few moments.

“You know, I sort of imagined that you would smoke after I had sex with you,” Jaehyun broke the silence, thinking about what he imagined being in bed with Taeyong was like. Taeyong laughed and Jaehyun thought his heart was going to explode with how beautiful he was.

“I only really smoke when I feel uncomfortable.” Taeyong smiled, “Right now I don’t need to.”

Jaehyun smiled back and held onto Taeyong a little tighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always i love seeing your guys' comments and stuff. see you next time!


	6. 06

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning for violence in this chapter

The next morning was probably the most blissful of Jaehyun’s life. He woke up next to Taeyong, beautiful Taeyong with his hair splayed out against Jaehyun’s pillow and his face relaxed, soft and lovely. Jaehyun sighed and studied the older man’s face for a moment, admiring the expression on his sleeping face that contrasted with the harsh glare that Jaehyun was met with when he first met the man. Never in Jaehyun’s life did he think he would wake up to someone so divinely gorgeous. Sunlight was streaming in through the window, washing Taeyong’s shoulders with a white light and Jaehyun felt his heart skip a beat. Jaehyun could see himself getting acquainted with the sweet ache that settled in his chest when he looked at Taeyong. 

Jaehyun reached out and brushed a few strands of hair away from Taeyong’s forehead, grazing his skin gently. Taeyong’s eyebrows furrowed at the contact and he squeaked a little, obviously fighting the inevitable opening of his eyes. Cute, the younger man thought. Jaehyun stroked through Taeyong’s hair, scratching soothingly at his scalp. Taeyong’s eyes cracked open and he smiled just a touch. Jaehyun smiled back and pulled him into an embrace. He didn’t think he could ever feel this happy, this whole. It was scary how much he felt for the man in his arms despite their short time knowing each other. “Are you hungry?” Jaehyun said, mouth pressed against the top of Taeyong’s hair. 

“A little,” Taeyong said, he voice adorably scratchy from sleep.

“I’ll make us something,” Jaehyun replied, beginning to pull away from Taeyong. The other man grabbed onto him tighter. 

“But you’re so warm and I’m so sleepy.” Jaehyun was going to explode with how cute Taeyong was in the morning. He wanted to scoop him up and kiss him forever but his stomach rumbled and he knew that they both should eat something. He noticed last night that he could count Taeyong’s ribs and that worried him a little bit. 

“I’ll be right back, I promise.” Taeyong exhaled indignantly, begrudgingly relenting and loosening his grip on Jaehyun.

Taeyong had fallen back asleep by the time Jaehyun came back into the bedroom with a plate of scrambled eggs for the both of them. He was snuggled into the space where Jaehyun laying, obviously craving the warmth of the other man. Jaehyun sat on the bed, rustling Taeyong awake. Taeyong rolled over and sat up against the headboard, his eyes still shrouded in sleep.

Jaehyun brought a bite of the food to Taeyong’s mouth, smirking a little at the idea that he was feeding the other man. Taeyong stuck out his lower lip, looking a little offended. “I’m not a baby,” he muttered.

“I know you’re not a baby, but I can see your bones and I’m a little worried for you,” Jaehyun began but Taeyong wasn’t relenting. “You need to eat, and I want you to be my baby so let me feed you.” Taeyong’s face heated up at Jaehyun’s pet name. He opened his mouth and Jaehyun fed him bite by bite until the plate was clean, then putting the dish on his bedside table. 

“I can’t believe I just let you do that,” Taeyong said, looking up at the ceiling. Jaehyun was pleased with himself. He scooched closer to Taeyong and wrapped his arms around him, savoring the feeling of his bare skin and the warmth of his body. He smiled, holding Taeyong a little tighter. “You’re lucky I like you so much,” Taeyong admitted, trying to keep his pride intact. 

Jaehyun was feeling extra cuddly and quite a bit sleepy, so he pulled the blanket up around them and closed his eyes, sighing into the skin of Taeyong’s shoulder. “Let’s stay like this for a while,” he murmured sleepily, feeling a little incoherent. He felt Taeyong’s hands wrap around his shoulders, delicate fingertips stroking his skin. “You’re really beautiful, you know?” Jaehyun was so sleepy he couldn’t exactly control which thoughts were coming out of his mouth as words. 

Taeyong chuckled and Jaehyun wanted to look up to see the smile on his face but fuck, he was so comfortable and he felt perfect right where he was. “You are too, Jaehyun,” Taeyong said, making Jaehyun’s sleepy heart jump in his chest. He felt happy and snuggled closer against the other man. “Do you know what time it is?” Taeyong asked, and Jaehyun didn’t feel like thinking. 

“There’s a clock on the dresser,” Jaehyun managed to mumble, and he felt Taeyong tense up after a brief moment. That startled him, and he looked up to find Taeyong scrambling to get out of bed, pulling his discarded clothes back on. “What’s wrong?” Jaehyun asked, unable to keep the disappointment out of his voice. He wanted to lay in bed with Taeyong all day. 

“I’m really sorry Jaehyun, I have to work. I forgot I had a meeting with a client during the day today and I have to go,” Taeyong said frantically, clearly worried about being late. That had Jaehyun a little worried. “I’ll be done by ten though, can I come over after that?” Taeyong asked, and slight relief washed over Jaehyun. 

“Of course, I want you here,” Jaehyun said, the sleepiness gone from his voice at the jarring change in the situation. Taeyong was fully clothed and running fingers through his messy hair.

“Okay, I’ll be here later,” Taeyong promised, coming over to bed to kiss Jaehyun with a palm on the side of his face. Jaehyun felt the tension in his body disappear with the older man’s lips on his. He sighed, not wanting the sensation to end. Taeyong pulled away from the kiss and Jaehyun whimpered just a little. “I’ll come back, wait for me?” Taeyong asked, hope in his eyes like he was scared that Jaehyun might change his mind. Jaehyun wouldn’t dream of it. 

“Yes, I’ll be here. Come whenever you want,” Jaehyun said, not just meaning it about later that night. 

“I’ll be back, Jaehyun,” Taeyong called over his shoulder as he left the bedroom. Jaehyun watched him walk away and already ached for night to come. 

~~~~~~  
Time passed mundanely and Jaehyun was in his living room, reading a book after having made dinner. He saved a little for Taeyong, knowing that the other man would probably be hungry when he came over. Jaehyun didn’t expect Taeyong for a few hours, though. He knew what kind of hours prostitutes had. 

A sharp knock on the door rattled Jaehyun’s consciousness out from the story and he looked at the time. Only about a half an hour had passed, Taeyong couldn’t be here yet. He got up and opened the door, slowly. The sight outside of the door was something he had never wanted to see and would never forget. Taeyong was in front of him, completely beaten. His right eye was black, his bottom lip was bloody and swollen, and there was dried blood under his nose. Jaehyun thought he was horrified until he saw a massive bloodstain on Taeyong’s white shirt, still growing. “Can I come in?” Taeyong asked, quietly, not able to make eye contact.

Jaehyun pulled Taeyong into the apartment and Taeyong yelped, clearly in pain. Jaehyun was remorseful for hurting him more, but what the fuck had happened to him? He needed to know, but that could wait because he needed to get Taeyong patched up immediately. That blood bleeding through his shirt was really, really fucking scary. 

Jaehyun pulled Taeyong into the bathroom without saying a word and sat him on the edge of the counter. He rummaged through his drawers looking for first aid and had to make do when he found some hydrogen peroxide and gauze. He also pulled several towels out of the closet, knowing he had to stop the bleeding from Taeyong’s chest. “What happened to you?” Jaehyun whispered, heartbroken. 

“Can I tell you when I’m not dizzy?” Taeyong said, his head falling back against the mirror. Fuck, Jaehyun had to act fast, Taeyong had already lost a lot of blood. He coaxed Taeyong’s arms up, pulling the shirt off of the older man’s torso and god, it was even worse than he imagined. Several slashes marred Taeyong’s beautiful chest, some deeper than others but all of them seeping. 

“Baby, I need you to hold this towel against the wounds, okay?” Jaehyun asked, bringing a comforting hand to the back of Taeyong’s neck, tilting his head forward so he could look him in the eye. 

“I don’t know if I can, Jaehyunnie,” Taeyong murmured. How did he even make it up the stairs, Jaehyun wondered. He had been beaten to sickness so Jaehyun had to hold the towel to Taeyong’s chest, pressing hard in an effort to stop the bleeding. Jaehyun was beginning to panic when Taeyong soaked through the first towel, but relief washed over him when he noticed the bleeding slowing by the second. The wait was excruciating, but eventually the wounds had clotted enough and Jaehyun pulled the towel away, his stomach turning at the battlefield over his lover’s sweet skin. There was dried blood all over him.

Jaehyun pulled a washcloth out of the closet and ran it under warm water, needing to clean Taeyong up before he tried to disinfect the wounds. He knew he was ruining several towels but he far from gave a shit at the moment. “I’m gonna clean you up now, Taeyongie, okay?” Jaehyun spoke softly, not wanting to scare Taeyong in the slightest. Taeyong could only nod in response. Jaehyun tried to be as gentle as possible wiping down the wounded man’s torso and face, revealing soft skin where there was blood before. He wiped down the rest of his body too, knowing that feeling clean would probably make him feel better a little later. The wounds were still terrifying, but now that Taeyong wasn’t completely covered in his own blood Jaehyun could relax in the slightest. This next part was hard because he knew that Taeyong was going to be in pain, worse pain than before. 

Jaehyun tried to pull Taeyong up, helping the older man steady on his feet and walked him slowly to the bedroom. He had to maneuver him so he would lay onto the bed on his back. Jaehyun would have done this in the bathroom for fear of ruining his bedding, but he wanted Taeyong to be as comfortable as possible. “Stay here, okay love?” Jaehyun said, kissing his cheek lightly. As grabbed the peroxide and some cotton balls out the bathroom, he realized what he had just said. He would have to think about that later. 

Taeyong had an arm over his forehead when Jaehyun came back in and he looked like he was in pain. Jaehyun wanted to be sick at the idea of making Taeyong hurt more, but he knew he had to if he didn’t want the wounds to get infected. “This is gonna hurt just a little, okay Taeyong? It’ll be okay,” Jaehyun weakly tried to console him while he wet a cotton ball with antiseptic. Biting his tongue, he brought the cotton ball down and began to wipe gently at the lowest wound on Taeyong’s body. 

Taeyong whimpered, tears slipping from his eyes and Jaehyun hated himself, hated himself so bad for doing this to Taeyong. He tried to be as gentle as possible and ran his free hand through Taeyong’s hair in a desperate attempt for comfort. He finished the first wound and moved up to the next, the deepest. Jaehyun bit his tongue and pressed the cotton ball down into the cut and Taeyong cried, cried until sobs were wracking his body. Jaehyun knew it hurt bad, but he was sure that wasn’t the only reason the other man was crying. “It hurts, Hyunnie, it hurts,” Taeyong sobbed and Jaehyun didn't know what to do. 

“Shh, baby, you'll be okay,” Jaehyun said, trying to tend to the wounds as quickly as he could. He moved up Taeyong’s body with the peroxide and Taeyong whimpered with every sting. He kept crying and Jaehyun thanked the heavens when he was done. 

“It's over, Taeyong, you did so good, you were so brave,” Jaehyun whispered praises to Taeyong, wanting him to stop crying. “Can you sit up for me? Just for a second?” Jaehyun pulled Taeyong up gently and Taeyong finally opened his eyes and looked at Jaehyun. Jaehyun’s heart ached. “I’m just going to bandage you up, and then you'll be all done, okay?” 

“Okay,” Taeyong said, weakly. Jaehyun grabbed the gauze from the bathroom and wrapped it all the way around Taeyong’s torso. He wanted Taeyong to finally be able to relax so he worked quickly, somehow coaxing Taeyong to hold his arms over his head so he had better access to his body. Once he was satisfied with the bandage, he threw the roll of gauze to the ground and laid Taeyong back down, sitting next to him and pulling his head into his lap. He stroked through Taeyong’s hair as his sobs died down and his breathing evened. 

“You need something to eat and drink,” Jaehyun decided after Taeyong had calmed down. He slipped from the bed gently and grabbed the leftover dinner and a large glass of water. Taeyong lost a lot of blood and Jaehyun wanted to make sure that he was fed and had enough water to recover. He sat back down on the bed, the hurt in his chest not subsiding. “Will you let me feed you again?” Jaehyun proposed, and Taeyong only nodded. Like earlier that day, Jaehyun fed Taeyong bite by bite until the plate was clean, and then handed him the glass of water. “Drink this, please,” Jaehyun asked, “And if you finish I’ll get you more.” 

Taeyong took the glass and sipped it. Jaehyun could see the way his hands shook and he wanted so badly to take away the other man’s pain. After a few gulps, Taeyong handed the glass back to Jaehyun and he set it on the table next to the bed. Taeyong had calmed down significantly from earlier but it was clear that he still needed to be taken care of. Jaehyun wanted to do nothing but that. 

“W- will you hold me?” Taeyong stuttered, and Jaehyun took the older man into his arms and brought the bed covers up over them. Jaehyun was on his back and Taeyong was curled into his side, resting his head on his chest. Jaehyun let his fingers trail over Taeyong, his cheek, hair, and neck and Taeyong was small in his embrace. Taeyong felt still, and Jaehyun thought he might have fallen asleep until a small voice sounded from his lips.

“I went to a client’s today,” Taeyong began, and Jaehyun tried not to tense up. “One of my regular clients, and I hate him, I hate him so much. I only keep seeing him because he pays me extra.” Taeyong let out a breath. “Sometimes, I think, I also go back because I feel like I deserve the pain he gives me.” Jaehyun didn’t dare speak, even when he felt Taeyong’s tears wetting his shirt. 

“I was so tired of him, I wanted to leave so bad and so while he was fucking me I tried to push him away. Normally I’m exactly what he wants, a hole to fuck, but for some reason today I let myself believe I was more than that,” sobs began to rack Taeyong’s body and all Jaehyun could do was to continue stroking his hair. “So I fought back, and I kept fighting because I felt violated and disgusting and I wanted to leave, but, but,” Taeyong’s voice cracked and Jaehyun could tell he was struggling to get the words out. “I fought back but he was so much bigger than me and he hurt me, he hurt me so bad Jaehyunnie. He beat me and cut me up and there was blood everywhere and my head was spinning. I dragged myself here because I didn’t know where else to go,” Taeyong was crying harder than Jaehyun had ever seen him. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry Hyunnie, I’m such a nuisance and I always have been, I might as well just d-” Jaehyun cut him off with a shush, not knowing if his heart could take any more of Taeyong’s self-deprecation. Jaehyun kept shushing Taeyong and the smaller man cried harder. Jaehyun wiped the tears from his face with his thumb, willing them to stop. Taeyong buried his face in Jaehyun’s shirt as if he was ashamed.

“You’re okay, Taeyong, you’re okay,” Jaehyun murmured with his lips on the top of Taeyong’s head. “I’ve got you and you’re safe.” Jaehyun kept whispering sweet nothings until Taeyong calmed down again. Once the sobs died down into sniffles, Jaehyun asked Taeyong to look at him. Jaehyun cupped his face and took a deep breath. 

“You’re not a nuisance, Taeyong. It’s scary how much I care about you and I’m glad you trusted me enough to come here when you needed someone. I always want to be that someone, because you deserve it,” Jaehyun breathed. “And there is no way in hell that you’re better off dead. You’re so important, and so strong and you have every reason to live. Bad things have happened to you, but you’re not bad.” Taeyong was crying again, for probably the tenth time that day. It wasn’t completely out of sadness this time. 

“I don’t ever want to go back to that man again, or any of them,” Taeyong whimpered, a request. 

“You don’t have to, baby, you can stay here with me and you never have to see them again,” Jaehyun reassured. 

“Thank you, Jaehyunnie,” Taeyong whispered into Jaehyun’s shirt. Jaehyun could feel the words sinking in to the marrow of his bones, thrumming through his veins. Despite the situation, Jaehyun felt happy that Taeyong was there. 

Moments passed in comfortable silence, both of them quiet. Jaehyun’s shirt was dry now, as were the tears on Taeyong’s cheeks. Jaehyun knew that he was still in pain based on the tremor in his quiet breaths. He hoped, for Taeyong’s sake, that the pain started to numb soon. Taeyong pulled himself away from Jaehyun for a second and looked into his eyes. 

“I think I might love you, Jaehyun,” Taeyong said, studying the chocolate brown of Jaehyun’s irises. He sounded sure of himself. Jaehyun pulled him down for a hug and he felt so, so happy--tears began to well in the corners of his eyes. 

“I think I might love you too, Taeyong,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm honestly so thirsty for comments guys also i have no friends so if u wanna chat hit me up. also thanks for 100 kudos!!!


	7. 07

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning for blood/violence

Jaehyun insisted that Taeyong stay in bed and rest for the days after that. He doted on Taeyong, bringing him meals and changing his bandages every day. With such meticulous care, the wounds were healing nicely. There would be scars, for sure, but Jaehyun of course didn’t mind. Taeyong was still the most beautiful person he’d ever seen, with or without perfectly smooth skin. With the rest, Taeyong was looking healthier and healthier as well. He was finally eating well after admitting that he hardly ever ate before (“Yongie, that’s why you’re so skinny!?” Jaehyun had chided) and Jaehyun was pleased to see a little more meat on his bones. After about a week, Taeyong was acting like himself again, with his sharp personality and soft edges. 

The next few days were domestic bliss for Jaehyun. He fell asleep and woke up next to Taeyong, beautiful Taeyong every day. Things were still tense with work, considering the next shipment was fast approaching, but for the first time ever Jaehyun could come upstairs to his apartment and sink into the arms of someone beautiful, someone thoughtful and sincere. It was like a dream. 

The day before the shipment, Jaehyun’s nerves were starting to get the best of him. He was pacing around his apartment, worried sick. What if Byun ruined this shipment too and stole most of his business? Jaehyun would be mostly out of luck. It was scary how much Byun had done in the last few weeks. Every few days Johnny would report that over half of the bars in the city had began to buy from Byun, since the last shipment was messed up and Jaehyun had nothing to supply with. How the hell was Byun even finding these bars? They were completely hidden from the public and you had to know somebody to even get in. The only person who Jaehyun was sure knew about all of the bars was Johnny, and there was no way Johnny would be coerced into telling anybody anything. Jaehyun had planned to bring a lot of manpower to the pier for the shipment, more than Byun could even have, but he was still worried. Something wasn’t right. 

“Jaehyun?” Jaehyun heard softly from behind him. It was Taeyong, clothed in one of Jaehyun’s shirts that hung off of his shoulders loosely. He was standing in the bedroom, peeking from behind the door. Jaehyun turned around and looked at him, the anxiety probably incredibly obvious on his face. Taeyong stepped forwards and winded his arms around Jaehyun’s neck, looking up at him. “You need to relax. Worrying isn’t going to help much right now,” Taeyong smiled, softly. 

Jaehyun exhaled and slipped his arms lazily around Taeyong’s waist. He rested his head on the smaller man’s shoulder, inhaling deeply and smelling soap on the nape of his neck. “I know, I know,” Jaehyun sighed, not lifting his head. “But what if something happens? It would be really hard to recover from that.”

“Nothing will happen,” Taeyong emphasized, “because you’re Mister fucking Jung. Do you know how afraid everyone is of you? I know I was before I met you,” he chuckled. Jaehyun lifted his head and looked at Taeyong. “But now I know you’re just a softy,” Taeyong laughed, bringing a hand to Jaehyun’s face and stroking his thumb along his cheekbone. Jaehyun smiled, a little sadly.

“I’ll try and stop worrying,” Jaehyun said, but his eyes said something otherwise. Taeyong, apparently desperate to comfort Jaehyun, stood on his tiptoes, kissing Jaehyun’s lips. It was soft, fleeting, until Jaehyun started to kiss him back and get a little impatient. Already the tension was bleeding from Jaehyun’s body and he started to tighten his arms around Taeyong’s waist. Taeyong pulled away and Jaehyun tried to follow him, looking a little desperate. 

“You should make love to me,” Taeyong said lowly into the shell of Jaehyun’s ear. The younger man shuddered and Taeyong loved how easily flustered he was. Hands flat on his chest, Taeyong pushed Jaehyun towards the bedroom and before he knew it he was on his back on the bed, his head against the pillows. 

Jaehyun felt breathless, still amazed how gorgeous Taeyong was. They had been together several times since that day, but he still had butterflies. He started working on Taeyong’s neck, savoring the way his kisses made the smaller man squirm underneath him. Soft little noises left the plush lips of his lover and Jaehyun was getting impossibly turned on, his hips grinding down onto Taeyong’s pelvis. Jaehyun couldn’t wait any longer and neither could Taeyong so they shed their clothes quickly. Goosebumps freckled across Taeyong’s collarbone in the crisp air of the apartment, and Jaehyun couldn’t help but smile. Taeyong was so cute. 

Jaehyun grabbed the lotion and began to work Taeyong open with lotion, watching his face as he added one finger, then two. Taeyong was stroking himself and his eyes were closed, looking rapturous. Jaehyun was painfully hard but he had to make sure Taeyong was prepared, he would rather die than cause him any pain. The older man was moaning, his hips pushing up desperately. 

After deciding Taeyong was ready, Jaehyun coated himself in lotion and pushed inside of Taeyong, revelling in the warmth and the addicting pleasure that washed over him. He kissed Taeyong and the other was too blissed out to kiss back well, it was all pliant tongues and lazy bites on bottom lips. Jaehyun was thrusting inside of Taeyong and he was already close, already so close because Taeyong felt so good and Jaehyun wanted nothing more than to be close to him. Jaehyun shakily brought a hand between them, gripping Taeyong’s cock and stroking it erratically. Taeyong’s breaths were leaving his lips unevenly and there were whimpers from deep in his chest. Jaehyun was kissing Taeyong’s neck and he bit down as he came, warmth pulsing through him. He kept jerking Taeyong until the older man came as well, messy into Jaehyun’s hand. The collapsed, breathing heavily and feeling dirty. They didn’t care, though, and still cuddled up to one another. Jaehyun was happy he found someone who liked to be as affectionate as him after sex. 

They laid there peacefully until Taeyong was uncomfortably sticky and asked Jaehyun to clean him up. Jaehyun wiped Taeyong off gently, still careful of the fresh scars and collapsed onto him when he was done. 

“Ow, Jaehyun you’re squishing me,” Taeyong managed to say, and Jaehyun only buried his face into Taeyong’s neck and hugged him tighter. 

“Sorry,” Jaehyun mumbled, but obviously he didn’t mean it, too happy with the proximity. 

“Do you feel a little better now, baby?” Taeyong asked, resigning and letting the larger man engulf him. 

“A little,” Jaehyun lifted himself onto his elbows and smiled. “I love you, Taeyong.”

The older man blushed. Neither of them had said it since that night, too nervous that either of them had only said it because of the heat of the situation. 

“I love you too, Jaehyun,” Taeyong said, and pulled Jaehyun down for a sweet kiss, chaste. They laid there wrapped around each other for some amount of time, neither of them bothering to move. 

“What did you do today while I was gone?” Jaehyun asked. He had met with Johnny today, going over the logistics of the plans tomorrow night. Jaehyun didn’t like leaving Taeyong in the apartment. He knew Taeyong only felt truly safe when Jaehyun was there. 

“I just cleaned up a little and read a little,” Taeyong said, his eyes closed in bliss. “Oh, I meant to ask you something.” Jaehyun perked up. “Why do you have a giant suitcase of money under your bed? I found it while I was cleaning.”

Jaehyun chuckled. “That probably seemed suspicious. I don’t really trust banks, and I think the authorities would catch onto me if they saw the money I was depositing, so I keep most of my cash here,” Jaehyun said. 

Taeyong only hummed in response, kissing Jaehyun’s cheek and squeezing him for a moment. They laid, comfortable and content, until sleep overtook them. 

~~~~~~

The day of the shipment sped by despite Jaehyun’s anxiety. Johnny was up in Jaehyun’s apartment a couple hours before the shipment was to arrive, talking about what they would do once they got there and how this would work. Taeyong was in Jaehyun’s bedroom with the door shut. They weren’t quite ready for Johnny to know about their relationship. Jaehyun had never been to the pier to pick up a shipment but was doing so this time at Doyoung’s request. Johnny was trying to talk down his nervousness.

“Trust me, Jaehyun, everything will be fine. You have me, and Doyoung, and Sicheng and everyone else who’ll be there. We’re not going to let anything happen, you won’t let anything happen,” Johnny said, his hand on Jaehyun’s back comfortingly. Jaehyun didn’t look convinced. “How long have we known each other, Jaehyun? I know that you’re not confident but you’ve done your job perfectly up until and you’ll continue to do so.”

Jaehyun smiled weakly, eyes on the clock. They had to leave soon. 

“We should get going, it’s good to get there a little bit before the actual shipment arrives,” Johnny said, standing up from the table they were sitting at. “Let’s go downstairs.” 

“I’ll meet you in the lobby, I need to check on something,” Jaehyun muttered. Johnny shrugged and made his way out the door. Once he was sure he was gone, Jaehyun opened up the door to his bedroom. Taeyong was laying on the bed idly. “Baby?” Jaehyun asked, watching Jaehyun perk up. He walked over to the bed and sat down.

“I’ll be back soon, okay? But don’t wait up for me if you get tired,” Jaehyun said, reaching out to stroke Taeyong’s hair. 

“Okay, Jaehyunnie,” Taeyong smiled. “Good luck, you’ll do great.” Jaehyun leaned in and kissed him, then got up and went towards the door. “I love you,” Taeyong called out. 

Jaehyun looked back and smiled. “I love you too, Taeyong.” 

As he was walking down the stairs, he saw Doyoung coming up them. All of his higher up subordinates lived in the hotel as well, so it wasn’t unusual. They both stopped, though. 

“Shouldn’t you be heading to the pier?” Jaehyun asked, eyeing Doyoung.

“I’m gonna meet you guys there, I wanted to grab something to eat before I go. It helps me calm down a little bit,” Doyoung said, smiling sheepishly. Jaehyun didn’t want to push it, so he nodded curtly and continued down the stairs. He saw Johnny in the lobby and walked up to him, before realizing he didn’t have his gun. He always kept it in the office. 

“One second, I’m gonna go get something from my office,” Jaehyun said, rushing down to the bar. Taeil wasn’t at the bar, which was odd because it was a time when a lot of people came down to drink. Jaehyun didn’t think much of it, although he would have liked to say hi to Taeil. He hadn’t seem him lately, he had been a little occupied with Taeyong and hadn’t come down to the bar much. 

Making his way down the hall into his office, his eyes were immediately drawn to the office floor.

There was blood everywhere, all over the floor and some on the walls. Jaehyun had never seen so much blood, not even when Taeyong was bleeding everywhere. It was still fresh, wet and in puddles on the warped floorboards. Jaehyun pulled his eyes up to his desk, his chair. There was Taeil, his throat slit, dead. Dead and cold, and Jaehyun was going to be sick. He was frozen, in shock. He didn’t dare go grab his gun from the desk drawer, so he merely slipped out of the office, wordlessly. The shipment was in a couple hours, this couldn’t be happening now. He had to remain calm, appear normal to Johnny upstairs. It took him several moments to collect himself.

His childhood best friend was dead in his office, but Jaehyun managed to head up the stairs, his face pale and his heart racing. When Johnny saw him, he just scolded him for taking so long and dragged him out the door. Jaehyun’s mind was blank while they walked to the pier. It was a short stroll, but he wanted it to be over so bad. He wanted this whole experience to be over so bad. He wanted his whole career to be over so bad. 

~~~~~

They arrived at the pier and were standing by the dock. Jaehyun and Johnny had arrived earlier than most of the crew. Jaehyun and Johnny were there early to make sure the heavy duty workers had direction once they got there.

“Fucking Doyoung, he’s supposed to be here by now,” Johnny complained, checking his watch every five seconds. “The others are going to get here soon.” Jaehyun didn’t say anything, too busy staring at his feet, numb. 

“Fuck it, I’m gonna look for him. He’s probably still at the hotel like an idiot,” Johnny was grumbling and Jaehyun barely registered the pat on his back as a farewell. Johnny would be back soon, Jaehyun thought. Johnny would be back soon and everything would be okay, and then he could go home. 

Jaehyun doesn’t know how many minutes passed, maybe fifteen? Johnny would be back at the hotel by now, but there’s no way he’d be coming back to the pier yet. He sighed, impatient. Jaehyun was startled when he heard footsteps coming towards him and his eyes snapped to the noise. A pinch of relief filled him when it was just Doyoung. 

“Johnny is looking for you,” Jaehyun said, bringing his sight back to the water, watching the waves hit the foundation of the dock. Doyoung was still making his way over. 

“I know, I was waiting for him to leave,” Doyoung said. Jaehyun hummed in response, distracted until--wait, what? Doyoung was waiting for him to leave? Jaehyun turned to the other man, suspicious. His heart stopped in fear, however, when Doyoung was just a few feet away from him, holding a gun pointing at his head. “Don’t fucking move, Jae,” Doyoung said, smirking at the use of his nickname. 

Jaehyun was frozen in his stance, never had he been in this situation. Doyoung was smiling evilly, clearly pleased with himself. Jaehyun couldn’t move when Doyoung brought the gun back, like he was about to throw it. All Jaehyun felt was a blunt pain against his head, and then everything was black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter was pretty exhausting to write, lol. happy new year!


	8. 08

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> blood/violence as usual

Jaehyun’s head was pounding when he finally woke up. He blinked, trying to push away the darkness from his vision. Weird, the ceiling he was looking at wasn't his own. When did he even fall asleep? Jaehyun wasn't sure until he felt his hands tied behind his back, and then stifling fear came over him. He immediately started squirming, trying to free himself from the cold ground and the restraints until a foot stomped on his chest. Doyoung was looking down at him, smirking. 

“Are you finally awake, Jaehyun?” He spit, viciously. “I was waiting for you to come to.” 

“You work for Byun?” Jaehyun managed to ask, the pressure on his chest from Doyoung making it hard to breathe. Doyoung bent down and pulled Jaehyun up by his hair, forcing him to sit up. 

“I am Byun, Mr. Jung,” Doyoung smiled. “Are you surprised? Now that I think about it, it was probably pretty obvious. How else would Byun be finding out about the inner workings of your operations?” Doyoung pressed foot harder into Jaehyun’s sternum. “I can't believe you would let someone you barely knew into your inner circle. You ended up being just as foolish as I thought you were.” 

Jaehyun couldn't speak, the air was being forced out of his lungs and he could hardly breathe. “Now that I have you at my mercy, I assume you'll fork over all of your power, your money. You’re not fit for this, Mr. Jung. You know that better than anyone. You would be stupid to not give up,” Doyoung taunted. All Jaehyun could do was shake his head, no. 

Clearly not satisfied, Doyoung reached around his belt and pulled out a gun, pointing it at Jaehyun. “Are you sure about that?” he asked, unhappily. Jaehyun couldn't care less if Doyoung shot and killed him right now. Honestly it sounded like the best option, he would be freed from this shitty life and he could perish in hell like he always knew he would. Jaehyun kept just looking at Doyoung, not phased by the gun. Doyoung unlocked the safety, twisting his wrist and bringing the gun closer to Jaehyun’s forehead. 

“Nobody is here to save you, Jaehyun. Nobody cares about you, and nobody ever did. Johnny and the others do your bidding for the cash, trust me. I know how this works, I’ve been in this game for just as long as you.” Doyoung pressed the gun to Jaehyun’s head. “I would advise that you give everything up to me if you don’t want this to get messy.” Jaehyun held his tongue. If there was one thing he maintained from his father, it was that he wouldn’t give in easily. 

They were at a stalemate for a moment until Doyoung threw the gun down onto the ground and kicked Jaehyun, hard. “Maybe this will persuade you,” Doyoung smirked, and he exited the room for a moment. 

This must be Byun’s office, he thought. Jaehyun had no idea where in the city he was, but he hardly cared. He would resist Doyoung until he ended up killing him and then he could be done with this whole thing. The door clicked open and Jaehyun looked behind him to see Doyoung in the doorway, dragging a tied up Taeyong behind him. Doyoung threw Taeyong in, letting him slam roughly into the floor and Jaehyun could see the fear in his eyes. Doyoung had Taeyong gagged with his hands behind his back, and Jaehyun felt like he couldn't breathe. 

Anger was starting to flow through him. “How did you know about him?” Jaehyun demanded from Doyoung. The other man chuckled. 

“Your friend Taeil was a great source of information before I slit his throat,” Doyoung smirked, and Jaehyun vision was starting to cloud from how angry he was. 

“How dare you bring him into this. You can do whatever you want to me, but don't you dare touch him,” Jaehyun spat. 

“Actually, considering the circumstances, I can do whatever I want to anybody,” Doyoung condescended. He kicked Taeyong hard in the chest and Jaehyun flinched. Taeyong yelped, muffled by the gag. Jaehyun was seething and Doyoung could tell, pleased with how furious Jaehyun was. “Does this make you angry?” Doyoung asked. Jaehyun hated him, hated him for being such an asshole. Clearly Jaehyun was pissed and he wanted to keep provoking him. He kicked Taeyong again, brutally hard. 

“Being angry isn’t enough, Jae,” Doyoung drawled, the smile on his face growing more twisted. He kicked Taeyong in the face and blood poured from his nose almost immediately. Jaehyun felt so numb, this was so wrong. He was watching his life crumble before him and the man he love suffer because of him. Doyoung kept hurting Taeyong, his face scrunched up in pain. Taeyong was moving his hands behind his back, trying so hard to get free. Jaehyun figured it must be futile. 

“Fuck, stop Doyoung, please stop,” Jaehyun begged, “kill me instead, please.” Jaehyun was frantic, desperate. Tears were running down Taeyong’s face, leaving clean trails in the bloodstains. It hurt so bad, so fucking bad and Jaehyun felt like he couldn’t breathe. “Please, please stop, I swear to god please stop, you can kill me, please just kill me,” Jaehyun didn’t even know what he was pleading, all he knew was that he must have sounded pathetic as the words bubbled out of his mouth.

Doyoung wasn’t stopping, Taeyong’s eyes were closed and blood began to pool underneath him. Doyoung was going to kill him, he must not even be human. How could another human being do this to another? The fucked up thing was that Jaehyun knew this shit was commonplace in the mob. People fucked each other up all the time for money and prestige and it was disgusting, absolutely disgusting. Jaehyun wanted this all to end, it all to end and for his fucked up life to be over. 

 

“You can have everything, all of my money, all of my business, everything, just please fucking stop hurting him, please,” Jaehyun begged and Doyoung faltered. 

“That’s all I wanted to hear, Jaehyun,” Doyoung said, kicking Taeyong aside and bringing his attention back to Jaehyun. “You’re going to tell me right now where every penny of your worth is and how I can get to it, and then you better never show your face ever again, you better run and hide for the rest of your pathetic life.” 

Jaehyun could barely pay attention to what Doyoung was saying Taeyong was squirming around on the ground, and Jaehyun wondered what the hell he was trying to do. It would be incredible if Taeyong could escape and then leave Jaehyun, because he didn’t deserve this. He deserved so much better than the shitty life Jaehyun could provide. 

“Fucking look at me when I’m talking to you,” Doyoung snapped and Jaehyun stared up at him in fear. “You’re so fucking weak and pathetic, you can’t even look me in the face as I’m sparing you your fucking l-” A gunshot rang dully in Jaehyun’s ears and Doyoung collapsed to the ground, a bullet through the back of his head. Jaehyun couldn’t breathe, what was going on, holy fucking shit, and then he saw Taeyong behind Doyoung, gun still pointed up at where Doyoung’s head was. 

“Holy shit, Taeyong,” Jaehyun said, completely shocked. The older man, still gagged, crawled over to undo Jaehyun’s restraints and then the younger man undid the gag gently from Taeyong’s mouth, not wanting to hurt him anymore. “I’m sorry, I’m so fucking sorry Taeyong, I can’t believe I put you through this, I’m garbage,” Jaehyun trailed on, his voice trembling. 

 

“Jaehyun, shut up. We need to go,” Taeyong asserted, surprisingly collected after what had just happened. Taeyong pulled Jaehyun to his feet and they left the office, searching desperately for the exit. When they got outside, Jaehyun was relieved they weren’t far from his hotel. 

“This way, Taeyong, let’s go,” Jaehyun said, trying to hide their messy appearances from both Taeyong’s and Doyoung’s blood. They raced to Jaehyun’s hotel, Jaehyun dragging Taeyong by the wrist the whole time. He swore he would never let the other go, he just saw what could happen at even the smallest lack of discretion. The panic that rushed over Jaehyun when he say Taeyong on the ground in front of him in Doyoung’s office was dull at the time, but the brevity of what had just happened was starting to sink in. Jaehyun was so fucking stupid for thinking that Taeyong would be okay alone in his apartment with no one to protect him. Of course someone could find out easily Jaehyun’s exact weaknesses and exploit them, twisting a knife in his resolve. Jaehyun was deep in thought when they made it to the hotel and up the stairs. 

His apartment door was wide open, Doyoung not even bothering to close it when he dragged Taeyong out of the only space he felt relatively safe in. God, Jaehyun was incompetent. Him and Taeyong were both panting from the exertion of escaping and Jaehyun turned his attention to Taeyong. He was still bloodied, beaten, and Jaehyun felt sick. “I'm sorry, Taeyong, I'm so sorry,” he breathed, unable to find words that could even begin to cover what he wanted to say. 

“Shut up, Jaehyun. It's not your fault,” Taeyong said, cutting Jaehyun off before he could fall into some apologetic tirade. They didn't have time for that right now. “We need to get cleaned up and then we need to get the hell out of here.”

“Right,” Jaehyun mumbled, overwhelmed, “right,” then he realized. Doyoung’s cronies would be after him any minute, vengeful. He stumbled into the bathroom, wetting a towel to clean off Taeyong and himself. Taeyong followed him in, shucking off the clothes that were marred with blood. Jaehyun flinched when he saw the large, almost cobalt bruises that were beginning to bloom on Taeyong’s chest. He tried not to look, he could worry about that later. Right now they were on a time crunch. Jaehyun wiped the other man down as fast as he could, trying not to press too hard into the bruises. Taeyong yelped when Jaehyun accidentally added too much pressure and Jaehyun’s heart stuttered, whispering an apology into the other man’s skin. He then undressed himself and grabbed a new set of clothes for both of them. They changed quickly. 

“Should I pack some of my stuff?” Jaehyun stuttered, feeling flustered.

“No, you’re going to grab that briefcase of money that you have and we’re going to go to the train station and get far away from here,” Taeyong grabbed Jaehyun’s shoulders, looking up at him. “Jaehyun, I know that you’re going to lose it and that you feel bad and like I deserve better, or something. None of that matters right now, because all either of us have are each other, and you’re all that I need.” Tears were beginning to pool in the corners of Jaehyun’s eyes. “For now, though, we need to get going.” Taeyong began to search for the suitcase under the bed. 

The sickness in Jaehyun’s stomach began to recede. Maybe, just maybe everything would be okay if he could spend the rest of his days with Taeyong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no proofreading i die like a man
> 
> also limitless!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


	9. 09

Morning came quickly, especially after being up so late, but it brought light in from the window and warmth on Jaehyun’s skin. He felt his eyes open but the sun was too bright so he squeezed his eyes shut. Jaehyun didn’t want to wake up, didn’t want to get out of his warm bed and soft sheets. He didn’t want to leave the man beside him, either. Taeyong made a small noise when Jaehyun scooted closer to him and snuggled up to his side. His head was on his chest and his leg was thrown over the smaller man’s lower half. 

“What are you doing,” Taeyong murmured, still half asleep.

“Sleepy,” Jaehyun offered as a reply, not answering the question. He squeezed Taeyong a little tighter and opened his eyes the slightest bit. Taeyong’s were closed and from this angle Jaehyun could see everything on his beautiful face up close. Jaehyun adored the way Taeyong’s face relaxed when he was asleep, the way his hair fell softly over his forehead, and the way his long eyelashes fanned across his cheekbones. Jaehyun couldn’t help but press a kiss to Taeyong’s sharp jawline, admiring the masculinity of it that made his stomach flip. Taeyong smiled. 

It had been a while, maybe a few years since Jaehyun came so close to losing Taeyong. That night they had boarded a train that was heading west to somewhere that Jaehyun had never heard of, never cared about. He apologized the entire ride and only stopped when Taeyong ripped him out of his seat and onto the platform of a train station somewhere, anywhere. Jaehyun would always be sorry to Taeyong. He would always be grateful, as well. 

Jaehyun’s lips travelled from Taeyong's jaw down his neck, settling fleetingly on his adam’s apple and then back up to the delicate skin behind his ear. Jaehyun laughed quietly at the thought of how hopelessly in love with Taeyong he was, how happy he was surrounded in the idyllic atmosphere that was their life. Jaehyun pulled himself up so that he was hovering over Taeyong and laced his fingers in his black hair indulgently. He pressed a kiss to his lips, impatience and arousal starting to bother him. 

“I thought you were sleepy,” Taeyong said, peeking an eye open at Jaehyun. Jaehyun kept his cheek pressed against Taeyong’s and hummed in response. He found his way back to Taeyong’s lips, his kisses somnolent and languid but passionate nonetheless. Taeyong moaned into Jaehyun's mouth. 

After they got off the train, their only option was to try and find a place to stay and a life to live wherever the hell they were. Jaehyun used his cash to buy a house, charming on the countryside, and settled into the creaky floors and dusty woodwork with Taeyong beside him. They were safe here, no chance in hell that anyone would be able to find them this far in the middle of nowhere. It was so different from his posh apartment in the city but Jaehyun welcomed the change. This is what he wanted, wasn't it? 

The two of them found odd jobs in the town nearby, not tons of options considering the town was a total of two blocks by two blocks, but they made do with what they could. Jaehyun was a clerk at some general store and Taeyong took up gardening, eventually growing his own food and selling to the gentle people that lived nearby. He never had to go back to his old profession. 

Jaehyun’s hands ran down Taeyong’s sides and the man underneath him shuddered at the sensation, a giggle bubbling from his lips. Jaehyun’s tummy felt funny every time Taeyong laughed and he would never tire of the feeling. Jaehyun was insistent with his kisses now, urging Taeyong’s mouth open with a swipe of his tongue on his bottom lip. The inside of Taeyong’s mouth was delicious and soft and Jaehyun whimpered. Taeyong’s arms found themselves wrapped around the small of Jaehyun’s back, fingers running over the dimples that adorned the base of his spine. 

Jaehyun moved his hands down to Taeyong’s thighs, pushing them apart while his tongue dove deeper into Taeyong’s mouth. Taeyong parted from the kiss. “Jae, I’m still sore from last night.”

“Have me instead, then.” 

There were times when Jaehyun would wake up in the middle of the night, sobbing and Taeyong would hold him until he could breathe again. Those nights, Jaehyun said he was sorry until he couldn't speak anymore, his heart twisting excruciatingly in his chest when he saw the scars on Taeyong’s chest. Taeyong would shush him and trail his fingers along Jaehyun’s skin in hopes that sometime soon Jaehyun would realize how much he was worth, how much Taeyong loved him. 

Other nights, Jaehyun would be buried deep inside of Taeyong when he felt him pull away, closing off because of voices inside his head. I’m dirty, used, disgusting, Taeyong would say, broken. Jaehyun was helpless, trying to show Taeyong how beautiful he was. Those nights he would take his time admire and adorning Taeyong’s lips, shoulders, calves, all the way down to his feet. Jaehyun would worship Taeyong selflessly, because that's what Taeyong deserved. After a little while, those nights were less and less common. 

Jaehyun was underneath Taeyong now and the older man was taking his time to tease Jaehyun, lapping around a nipple and gripping his hips hard. Jaehyun let himself lay back and enjoy the rhapsodic moment, feeling immensely loved. His chest could burst at any moment. Taeyong was smooth, lithe and Jaehyun was convinced he was the luckiest person on this earth. The scrape of Taeyong’s teeth along Jaehyun’s hip bones drew a moan from deep in his throat, resonant against the glass of the window. 

Together, they were safe. Together, they were happy and serene by all definitions. They were captive in their own moment, their own forever. The past didn't matter and neither did the future. All that mattered was now, how content they were, and how content they knew they would be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's over! i feel like it feels a little rushed, but this is how i planned on ending it so i just went with it. im so thankful for everyone who read this through, left kudos, and wrote comments. i have another fic in the works, so keep an eye out for it. love you all!
> 
> see you next time :)


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